We are the winners. We scored the interesting jobs and free visas. Kyrgyzstan’s problems are our opportunities; it’s troubled Soviet past and fragile present are predictors of our bright futures.

We made it into the international development workforce and starting our careers here is giving us such an edge. We’re cooler than all the other kids trying to save Africa, because we’re saving a region most people are barely aware of. We worked hard to get here and through our internships, so now we get to make some real impact. We’ll support the democratic transition and witness it build its national sovereign identity.

And we get to enjoy this. We don’t have to worry about Malaria, Guinea worm and gun violence, and we can walk on our own at night. We’ll eat Shashlik and drink Kymyz and we’ll ride horses and climb mountains and swim in Issyk Kul Lake.